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Check near your fuel filter for a pull ring which will usually indicate the "Water in Fuel" sensor. Be wary about pulling it and draining the water though as this may cause air intrusion.
Do you know where the sensor for “water in fuel” is? My light is on and based off my research I believe it to be accurate but I’m wandering where it’s “sensing” from. Also I read the owners manual and it says the is a water separator in the fuel tank, wondering if there is maintenance for that?
Here's what I would recommend ;
1. Get a 1981 Oldsmobile Chassis service Manual . That way you know what you're doing.
They are usually available on E-Bay ;
2. Remove the fuel tank , remove the sender unit , and clean the tank inside thoroughly .
3. Replace the fuel strainer inside the tank .
4. Replace the fuel filter on the engine
5. Fill the tank with fresh , clean , diesel fuel .
6. Enjoy
Last edited by Charlie Jones; Sep 14, 2018 at 10:42 PM.
I put nos pump and injectors in, got it started and it seems a bit better but still not right. Idk if there’s air in it or what but I don’t feel like working on it much more. If anyone is interested in it pm me. I’ll post an ad this weekend with pictures.
I put nos pump and injectors in, got it started and it seems a bit better but still not right. Idk if there’s air in it or what but I don’t feel like working on it much more. If anyone is interested in it pm me. I’ll post an ad this weekend with pictures.
Did you clean the fuel tank and replace the strainer as suggested ?
You probably wasted your time and money on the pump and injectors .
You probably wasted your time and money on the pump and injectors .
I wonder if the IP and injectors were replaced in the past? If the car had the original IP and injectors they were probably overdue for a change since the car has 142k miles.
Out of all the receipts I didn’t see anything about the injectors being replaced but it did have the pump rebuilt twice. Also have a receipt for the fuel tank having been removed and cleaned already. It looks like I bought the wrong pump, possible bought an older pencil injection pump while my engine is poppet/micro. I’ll probably throw the old pump back on, didn’t show any signs of wear or visible defects, before I call it quits. I’d like to keep it but I’ve recently become a single father and am trying to buy a house, working on cars just doesn’t seem all that important to me right now.
I’d like to keep it but I’ve recently become a single father and am trying to buy a house, working on cars just doesn’t seem all that important to me right now.
Congratulations. Parenthood definitely takes precedence over Oldsmobiles and toys. Good luck selling it.
I’m not a recent father( daughter is 3), it’s just that her mother and I recently separated. I think it will be relatively easy to sell, interior is nearly perfect and the exterior is decent. I’ll keep tinkering with it as I have time, maybe I’ll figure it out before it sells.
I don't know the specifics for your car, but a tow package usually consisted of things that made it both easier to use the car and easier on the car. Most certainly it meant a heavy-duty radiator, a heavy-duty transmission or transmission cooler, a heavier-duty alternator to handle the heavier electrical load from the trailer's marker and tail lights, and often heavier-duty springs and stiffer shock-absorbers. Of course, it typically included a trailer hitch and a trailer wiring harness as well.
I don't have the 1981 Specs, but here's a section of the '71 Vista Cruiser options page. If you planned to do trailer towing, you would get options F41 and U89 for sure, and you could substitute the G66 "Superlift" shocks (air shocks) for the heavy-duty shocks if you wanted.
It was not part of the towing package, but you might also have gotten option Y72 as well. The C60 referred to is air-conditioning. M40 is the TH400 transmission, and N47 is power steering.
Nowhere does it show a trailer hitch as an option. They apparently left that to the owner to find after he got the car. Not surprising given the large variety of hitches available.
I imagine the contents of a "tow package" were pretty much the same in 1981 as they were in 1971 and probably the same for most any year. The requirements for trailer towing have been pretty constant over the decades.
I have heard that the frame on a truck is made out of thicker metal/boxed as the weight rating increases. I want to instal a receiver and want to install the highest class I can without going beyond the capabilities of the car. Mine does have what appears to be a factory 5 pin trailer harness and it does have a th350 not a th200 or 2004r.
An 81 model with the new DX block is much improved over the 78 to 80 D block for a number of reasons. If you research D and DX block Oldsmobile Diesels, you will see why. I can tell by the photo under your hood, you have a DX block. Of course, there is always the possibility the engine was changed over time. It could be a GM Goodwrench replacement. In that case, they are pretty bulletproof. The injector pumps stunk from day one and never improved. Many GM diesels met their end simply due to a bad injector pump. Most others had their engines replaced with a gas 307 or 350. As a true fan of the Oldsmobile Diesels, I have a number of them, don't ask me why, it becomes an addiction. I had issues with every single one of them except for one freak example 80 model D block Cutlass. That car never failed me once plus it pulls 30mpg on the highway like clockwork. It's also by far the fastest GM Diesel in my fleet of Oldsmobile Diesels. It has alot of jump off the line and on the highway. Again, it's a freak example. These cars stink in everyway but I still love them!
I recall reading an article in Car and Driver where they had a contest, something like a Cannonball Run, with an early 80s Olds Diesel, a Mercedes Diesel, and I forget the other diesel. The Olds won, something I was happy to read. Call me silly, but I like big American cars, and dislike foreign cars, always have. So naturally I rooted for the Oldsmobile. By the way, I'm also a Cadillac fan. I was delighted when I read something written by Brock Yates, where he wrote that one of the real Cannonball Runs was won by a 75 Coupe DeVille!
Your Custom Cruiser would be a good vehicle for towing. Just make sure the load isn't too heavy and that your brakes and suspension are in good repair.
The car does have
fe2-firm ride and handling
gu2-rear axle 2.73 ratio
g80-differential, limited slip
mx1-transmision(th350c)
qlz-tires, 225/75r15
u89-wiring harness, trailer
v08-cooling system, high
having all of these options together leads me to believe it does have the “towing package”.
Does it also have an engine oil cooler?. Runs through the radiator like a transmission cooler. My 1979 Olds 88 did. Probably well worth having if you are doing much towing.
Local junk yard has an 84 cruiser, 307. Wondering what parts I will need to grab to convert mine to gas? I want to do the minimum that will still allow it to run/drive properly (if I do the swap I will keep the diesel intact in hopes of eventually getting it running and putting it back in). Only thing I can think of is the throttle cable but I imagine I am overlooking things.
My wagon was hit and the passenger doors and quarter need replaced. I am wondering if anyone has knowledge on what cars I can get parts from. It looks like I can get these parts of any full size bopc wagon from 77-90 but I am not sure. Also wondering if 4 door sedan could donate any parts?
To convert the car to gas you would also have to add a harness to power the ignition. Is that Olds Custom Cruiser still in the salvage yard? If so, it has a CCC Quadrajet on an Olds 307. You would also have to make sure the smog equipment was installed correctly (or delete it all). This includes a catalytic converter and since you can't get them from a salvage yard you would have to buy an aftermarket one. Overall, it would be an involved and pricey project. Ultimately, I would suggest just taking the doors off of it to fix the fender bender your wagon got.
Anyone have any insight on the doors. They look like a match to me, but not sure. I want to be able to tell the shop that these doors are correct( if they are).
According to the part number listings, the door shells are not the same for the Custom Cruiser and the 4-door sedans... In fact the listing shows a different part number for the 88, 98, and CC... Three sets of numbers for the rear door shell... Part numbers, 20123082 & 20123083 for the 88, 20123092 & 20123093 for the 98, and 20131012 & 20131013 for the wagon...
Sedan and wagons are different. The sedan does not share body lines through the doors and quarter with the wagon. Rear doors are about an inch different in length. It does appear that the caprice sedan front door fits as it has no distinguishing body lines like the olds sedan. In my other thread you can see my wagon with a caprice sedan front door and caprice wagon rear door and quarter panel. Figured I’d throw the info out since it took me buying three sets of doors and two quarter panels to get it right.
